


The Wild Bor of Isserb

by Serriya (Keolah)



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Anachronism Stew, Gen, Mary Sue, Nonsense, Original Universe, Sdrawkcab Names, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1993-01-01
Updated: 1993-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-26 02:43:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/645659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keolah/pseuds/Serriya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's rebellion in the land of Nogero, and the ranger Selrahc and the thief Rettah are at the heart of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wild Bor of Isserb

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks (or something) go out to my eighth grade class and teachers, without whom this piece of nonsense would not have been possible.

The click of horse's hooves echoed through the gorge of the River Ettemalli. A single figure on horseback emerged from the darkness as the sunlight streamed like golden blades through gaps in the pillar-like stones. He stopped his horse and shielded his eyes from the sun. He heard another set of hoof-steps from the darkness of the gorge. The clicks were accompanied by an occasional "Ouch! Idnah, stop that." He knew at once who that was, and gave a short laugh upon recognition. 

The man cupped his hands to his mouth and called, "Rettah, what are you doing here?" As if he didn't know. Even though she had not been invited, he knew that she was coming to the Rebel meeting this afternoon. His voice resounded throughout the gorge in such a way that Rettah could not possibly have misunderstood him. 

"Hold on, Selrahc," shouted Rettah in reply, "I'll be right up." 

"No, you stay there," said Selrahc, "I'm coming down." 

There came a muttered reply that Selrahc assumed to be in the affirmative; the ranger snapped the reigns and lead his steed down the steep rocky path to the bottom of the gorge. A teenager on a mischievous brown horse awaited him by the River Ettemalli. The half-elven thief was, as Selrahc described her, eccentric, highly intelligent, but sometimes off the wall. Currently, she was having as much trouble as usual controlling her horse. Compared to Idnah, Selrahc's dapple-gray Emilbus was docile. 

"His influence is spreading rapidly," stated Rettah. "If he isn't stopped soon, the entire population of Nogero will be affected. He is powerful. The people will follow him." 

"They won't if I have anything to do with it." spoke Selrahc fiercely. 

"Who else is coming?" Rettah asked. 

"My sources told that Trebor, Reyem, and Idolem were able to come. Llimah could not arrive because of something to do with her horse. Ael did not respond." 

Rettah cocked her head and said, "That isn't like Ael. If she was unable to come, she would have let you know. That could only mean that she was unable to acknowledge." 

"I know," said Selrahc, "Poor Ael. He is her uncle. He will control her as he will control Nogero." 

Both of them stared silently into the darkness. The clicks of horse's hooves broke the silence as a third figure joined Selrahc and Rettah. This was Idolem on her black pony Ikcalb. She greeted the others as she dismounted her steed. 

Idolem, a person Rettah often compared to a chipmunk, looked rather preoccupied this morning. Rettah asked her what was on her mind; she shrugged and replied, "I saw Llimah's father Caasi out by the Notwen family garden. I asked him about Llimah; he told me that her horse was sick; but when I passed by the stables, I saw that her horse was as healthy as a proverbial horse. I don't understand it." 

"Caasi has a severe loyalty problem," scoffed Rettah. "You can never tell whose side he's on. I suggest that we steer clear of him." 

"I agree, Rettah," pondered Selrahc. "Unfortunately, there is no way to accomplish that." 

Rettah opened her mouth as if to protest, but decided against it. The clicks of two sets of hooves told them that Trebor and Reyem had just arrived. As they were putting their horses next to the others beside the River Ettemalli, Rettah greeted them, "Peace and good weather to you, friends." 

Trebor looked confused for a moment before saying, "Uh, peace and good weather to you, too." Reyem smiled as he glanced around them. 

"Those would be great rocks to climb," said Reyem. 

Selrahc grinned a moment then said, "I didn't call you all here to climb rocks, you know. We have serious matters to discuss." 

"I think I'd better sit down for this," said Trebor. 

"We all should sit," suggested Rettah. "How about these rocks here?" 

"That would be fine," agreed Selrahc as he took a seat on one of the large flat rocks. When the other four had taken their seats, he began. "This concerns him and some others. The situation is getting dangerous, especially for us. If we don't get organized soon, he will literally crush the rebellion. All of Nogero is at stake." 

Rettah told them what she had already told Selrahc, and Idolem contributed what she had learned about Llimah. Trebor nodded and stated that he had heard similar stories, but had not really believed them to be true. 

"A rumor is spreading that he has many supporters," explained Trebor, "but I am uncertain about what started it. If it is true, then we had better move quickly. Else, we still should move quickly. All rumors start with fact." 

"Trebor is right," said Rettah. "We have to contact the others as soon as possible. Llimah must get here. We have to find out why Ael has not contacted us." 

"Agreed." Selrahc said, "Idolem, mount your steed and go to Llimah's farm. Return here until we return or contact you. The rest of us are going to Renrut." 

The word hit the gorge like a tidal wave. Renrut, the great city in the heart of Nogero, which had once been the depiction of peace and joy, was now a fortress-like place filled with anger, hatred, and sadness. He had long ago conquered the city and it was the center of his power ever since. 

Idolem silently nodded and mounted her steed; she galloped away. Rettah looked unshaken by the thought of going to Renrut. Reyem looked interested at the concept of scaling the castle walls. 

The gorge resounded with the click of hoofbeats. Three figures on horseback appeared at the entrance to the gorge. Selrahc recognized them as Arul, Egrg, and Eel. 

"Peace and good weather to you, friends," greeted Rettah. 

"Hi," they said. 

"Did you hear the joke about the butter?" Rettah asked. 

"No, I don't think I have," said Arul. 

"Don't spread it around," said Rettah with mock seriousness. 

The others suddenly got the joke. Everyone laughed. Arul laughed so hard that she started snorting. Trebor turned a bright hue of red. 

Selrahc quickly filled them in on what had been said. The tension became so thick that you could cut it with a knife. "I will not make you come with me," explained Selrahc, "but I will accept volunteers." 

"I volunteer," Rettah quickly said. 

"I'll go, too," said Reyem. 

The others all volunteered as well. Selrahc nodded and said, "When will we leave?" 

"Now is fine," said Rettah. 

"I agree," added Arul, "The situation may get worse while we sit here talking." 

"Okay," agreed Selrahc, "Now it is." 

Selrahc, Rettah, Arul, Trebor, Reyem, Egrg, and Eel mounted their horses and trotted out of the gorge. The click of hoofbeats echoed off the gorge walls and eventually faded away in the distance. 

* * *

Idolem came in sight of the Notwen family farm. Caasi was nowhere in sight. In the woods by the farm, she tied her steed Ikcalb to a tree limb. Then she approached the house. 

Caasi was asleep in a hammock on the front porch. Idolem carefully moved around to the back. There was no back door here; instead, there was a large, twisted wisteria that she could easily climb. Idolem did so. She found herself on the second-story balcony, directly in front of the door to Llimah's room. By trying the door, she discovered that it was locked. Gently, she knocked out a quiet message in Morse code, which all rebels were "required" to learn. Her message was relatively simple: "IDOLEM." 

A few minutes later, the door opened to reveal Llimah Notwen. She looked slightly surprised, but otherwise glad to see her. 

"You should not have come here," whispered Llimah, "My father is not for the rebel movement. If he could, he would shut us down altogether." 

"I had to take that chance," said Idolem, "because Selrahc and the others are going to Renrut to get Ael and they told me to get you. I can not let them down." 

"You think we're going to sneak out of the house?" Llimah hissed, "Are you crazy? Even if we could, my father would head us off at the pass on my horse Ninthgil." 

"That's why we should take him," explained Idolem, "Then go strait to the gorge of Ettemalli." 

"Very well, Idolem," said Llimah, "I just hope they know what they're doing." 

"So do I, Llimah," sighed Idolem, "So do I." 

* * *

Renrut was not far from the gorge, but it was in the opposite direction than the Notwen farm. On the north side, fields surrounded it. On the south forest. They approached the castle from the forest side. The main gates were on the west side. 

"We need some way to get in there," said Selrahc. 

"You six go in from the south side," said Rettah, "I'll distract the guards." 

Before they could object, the thief was gone. 

"I pity the guards," said Selrahc, "I guess we had better make use of her distraction. Come on." 

As they approached the south wall, they heard Rettah singing in the distance. "I'm a little teapot, short and stout! Here is my handle, and here is my spout! I forgot the words to this stupid song! So just tip me over and pour me out!" 

Trebor blinked, then whispered, "Good distraction." 

For a moment, they couldn't hear Rettah, then she was singing something else. "Iram had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. Iram had a little lamb whose door was to the east!" 

"Wait a minute!" whispered Selrahc, "She's amazing. Listen to her." 

Rettah went on, "And everywhere that Iram went, Iram went, Iram went. And everywhere that Iram went that door was unguarded!" 

"She's incredible," said Selrahc, "She's giving us directions to get in." 

"And I thought we were going to climb the walls," sighed Reyem. 

"Not today," hissed Selrahc. 

Rettah sang out, "It followed her to school one day, school one day, school one day. It followed her to school one day which was so very locked!" 

"Stupid guards," muttered Eel. 

"Locked?" said Selrahc, "That complicates things." 

"It made the stupid guards laugh and play, laugh and play, laugh and play. It made the stupid guards laugh and play 'cause dragon has the key," finished Rettah. 

"There are no dragons in Nogero," said Selrahc. 

"Not lizard-dragons, at least," said Reyem. 

"Snapdragons!" Selrahc almost shouted, "Rettah, you are a genius." 

They followed the wall east of them and finally found a door hidden in the ivy. Some snapdragons seemed to mark its location. Arul searched through the snapdragons as Selrahc cut away the ivy with his knife. The location of the key was obvious to one who knew where to look. Arul unlocked the door. They entered. Beyond the door was a dark corridor. Arul closed the door behind them. Selrahc readied his five-iron. 

"One question: " whispered Trebor, "How did Rettah know this was here?" 

"I don't know," muttered Selrahc. "This way." 

They climbed a staircase. Reyem looked glad that they were climbing something. Trebor looked exhausted after the first five flights. For that matter, so did everyone. Someone asked where they were going; Selrahc replied that they were going to the high tower. 

After three more flights of stairs, they came to a door, which was unlocked. Beyond it lay a short lobby-like room. Selrahc asked Trebor to watch the door. The others approached the door. They discovered that it was locked. No matter. Selrahc tapped Morse code on the door. "SELRAHC." 

The door slowly opened. Ael Aremat stood there. She smiled. 

"It looks as though the damsel in distress," said Ael, "has been rescued by Prince Charming." 

They heard the soft tapping of Morse code. It said, "GUARDS." Selrahc tossed the expecting Trebor a sand wedge. The ranger passed out golf clubs to the others, too. 

The room filled with guards, who didn't expect to be attacked by golf clubs. Reyem kept swinging - and missing - his one-iron. The guards were eventually scared off. 

"We've got to get out of here before they come back," said Arul dramatically. 

Selrahc nodded. "Down!" 

Trebor jumped on the rail and quickly slid out of sight. The others shrugged and did the same. Once at the bottom of the stairs, Reyem muttered, "I like climbing, but those stairs!" 

Selrahc herded the others out to the door. Arul returned the key to the dragons. "To the horses," said Selrahc, "I'll meet you there." 

Selrahc moved to the west, staying within the cover of trees. He saw Rettah dancing around in front of a couple of highly amused and even more highly uninformed guards. She was singing about somebody named Kaj. Rettah spotted Selrahc and melted into the trees. She joined him moments later. 

"Did it work?" she hissed. Selrahc nodded in response. They joined the others at the horses. 

"Trebor, ride with Rettah," said Selrahc, "Ael, ride Trebor's horse." 

They nodded and mounted their steeds. From there to the Ettemalli, it was a quiet journey. 

* * *

When they arrived at the gorge of the River Ettemalli, they found Idolem and Llimah Notwen waiting for them. Both looked relieved to see them back so soon. 

"What happened?" Llimah asked. 

"I don't know," said Rettah, "I was too busy entertaining the guards." 

"We were hitting guards with golf clubs," said Trebor. 

"We were sliding down rails," Ael said. 

"All of the above," said Selrahc, "Plus using Morse code, scaling staircases, deciphering Rettah's riddles, and so on." 

"Sounds interesting," said Llimah. 

"Not as interesting as what we're about to do," said Selrahc. 

* * *

To whom it may concern, 

Hares prancing across the field. Ebbing tides of the sea. Endless seas beyond. Kites flying across the sky. Are the hares about? Leaves sprout in the spring. Rainbows streak the sky. Are the leaves to sprout? Ebbing tides return the water. Lifeless sands turn bright. Caves are discovered. Rain shall fall from skies. Ebbing tides reveal the sands. Bears awake from winter's sleep. Every day becomes a gem. Life returns to the lands. Sands awake with bright sun shining. Under the stars the land awakes. New leaves grow on trees. In the sun the land is a live. Trees blossom as priceless jewels. Endless skies, spring at last has come! 

* * *

"Looks like children's poetry to me." 

Selrahc handed the message to Rettah, and the thief examined it thoroughly. "No, look. This has an inner message. It's like many of the codes I have seen. Not only is it good poetry, but look at the capital letters. They spell out a message." 

"Wait a minute," said Selrahc, "Yes, they do." 

Rettah said, "The Ekal Raelc Rebels unite!" 

"That means we're not alone," said Arul. 

"That also means," said Selrahc, "that he knows we exist." 

Rettah nodded, then handed the letter back to Selrahc. "No pain no gain." 

"Fore!" shouted someone in the gorge. Selrahc ducked just in time to keep from being hit by a golf ball, which landed in the river. The ball got stuck between some rocks in the center of the River Ettemalli. 

Trebor appeared with a putter. Selrahc asked him what he was doing. Trebor said that he was driving. "Driving with a putter?" Selrahc asked, "Well, you're not getting that ball now." They laughed. 

"Just one question," said Selrahc. "Where is the green?" 

"Elsewhere," said Rettah, "because I have never seen anything in this valley that had short grass and hole in the middle with a flag sticking out of it." They laughed again. 

"Did you hear the joke about the jump rope?" said Rettah. 

"No, I haven't," said Selrahc. 

"Let's skip it," said Rettah. They laughed again. 

When the laughter finally died down, Selrahc asked, "Where is Ael?" 

"She's by the meeting stones," said Trebor. 

Selrahc nodded and went to the meeting stones. Rettah tagged along, too. Ael sat in a comfortable-looking rock chair at the far end of the stones. She immediately perked up when she saw Selrahc. 

"Oh, Selrahc," said Ael, "You wouldn't believe who he wanted me to marry!" 

"I probably wouldn't." Selrahc said, "Who?" 

"Jerk supreme. His name is Toidi Krej. I find him to be very stupid and very nerdy. He has a pocket protector for his sword," whined Ael. 

"Jerk supreme is right," agreed Selrahc. 

"He is also the governor of D'naltrop," added Ael, "and having me marry this jerk would give him leverage there. I think Toidi is too stupid to even keep updated on the situation in Nogero!" 

"D'naltrop is the largest city in all of Nogero," said Selrahc. "If he took that, then Enegue would be next, and Enegue is far too close to the gorge of the Ettemalli. Fortunately, you wouldn't be there to marry him." 

"Marry him!" cried Ael, "I would never have married that jerk, even if I was still there and he was the last man on the face of Nogero!" 

The gorge suddenly resounded with the click of horse's hooves. The three of them looked up to see a familiar figure on his graceful horse Elbert Felc. They recognized him as Margni D'nab. He dismounted and handed Selrahc a message, saying that it was supposed to be a recipe or something. He also muttered that he didn't much care about recipes. 

The message said: 

July 20 

Dear 8 kind people, 

There are 5 easy steps in preparing chocolate gravy. First, take 9 egg whites and 19 cups of milk. Get 19 ounces of chocolate and 5 pounds of gravy. Next, put 18 cups of milk and 2 pounds of gravy in the bowl. Put over heat and stir for 18 minutes or until you feel sick. Third, add 5 and 2 egg whites to the mix and stir for 5 minutes. Fourth, for 12 minutes, melt 19 ounces of chocolate. Slowly stir it in into the mix for 21 minutes. Fifth, put 14 ounces of the mix in a separate bowl in the fridge. Put 9 ounces of this in a bowl. Put the rest in the freezer. Let this set for 20 minutes. This gravy will serve at least 5 people! 

Anonymous Cook 

"Yuck!" Selrahc cried. 

"It seems to have a message in it," said Rettah as she took it from Selrahc. 

"Then what does it say?" Selrahc asked. 

"The numbers in it are substitutions for letters," explained Rettah. She stared off into space for a moment, then said, "The Isserb Rebels unite!" 

"You scare me, Rettah," said Selrahc. 

"Isserb is where you are from, right?" Rettah asked. When Rettah asks someone if she is right, she has already decided that she is. 

"Indeed," said Selrahc, "but I don't know how you managed to decipher that code." 

"Simple," said Rettah, "logic. I saw that the proportions were ridiculous, so I knew it couldn't have been a real recipe. Then I noticed the date on the note. It said 'July 20.' That's tomorrow. Because the note could not possibly have been written July 20, I decided that it had to be a code. Therefore, the most logical code that was not very obvious using such digits would probably be a recipe because of all the numbers commonly present in such things. Because the usual code using numbers is such that A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, et cetera. I knew that there was a high probability that a code using digits would be this one, so I began to recall the numbers of the letters in alphabetical order. The message was obvious to one who knew what to look for." 

"I see," said Selrahc. 

"I estimated the probability of the writer using that code to be approximately 99.2%, because only once have I seen a different code that substituted numbers for letters." Rettah continued, "The 'Anonymous Cook' obviously didn't know how to create and original code and stick to it where the numbers are so far apart. Or, perhaps, he intended it to appear less than an expert's--" 

"I think we get the point," said Selrahc. 

"Therefore, since the letters are consistent, it would not be too difficult to create an original code which substitutes numbers for letters. I have done so three separate times, and I still know the codes. In one, 134 is A, 245 is B, 356 as C, et cetera. Nevertheless, none would be able crack this code unless they knew more than I do about codes and code breaking." 

"Which I doubt," commented Margni. 

"I think we get the point," repeated Selrahc. 

"The numbers are arranged in such a way that not even the most skillful of code breakers could decipher it. Hence, the one who originally designed the code would have to have the brain of Nietsnie. Since I got a D in math in third grade, I would be comparable to Nietsnie, and therefore--" 

"I think we get the point!" Selrahc cried. 

Rettah abruptly stopped blabbering. 

"Anyway," said Margni, "the loyalists are still trying to stop us, but I don't see how he can even try! Rumors say that he has many supporters. Those rumors are only rumors. He started them only to shake us up. That is the only purpose these rumors serve. Don't let rumors cloud your decisions. Some rumors are true, but most are not. I must return to Isserb now. I suggest that you come along." 

"I will," said Rettah. 

Selrahc nodded. Ael said, "I'll come, too." 

"Hold on," said Selrahc. He cupped his hands to his mouth and cried, "Arul! You're in charge until we return!" 

"Okay!" Arul shouted from the other side of the River Ettemalli. 

"The trouble is," muttered Rettah, "that all rumors begin with the truth, so that none is a complete lie. It just depends on what his definition of 'many' is. It could mean that most of his supporters are male, 'manny,' since males are more inclined to follow such people than females." 

If anyone heard her comment, they did not bother to reply. Her musings went unacknowledged. 

Selrahc, Ael, Rettah, and Margni then went to the makeshift stable by the gorge wall. They got Emilbus, Idnah, and another horse. After mounting, they followed Margni up the river to the village of Isserb. 

* * *

The Sneets Mountain towers above the village of Isserb. Sneets, a peak just beyond the Seulb Mountains, seemed to protect the village from the sadness and fear from nearby Renrut. It also provided a beautiful vantage point to look upon sunny Isserb, Village of Joy. 

Selrahc smiled upon looking over his home village. Margni was already trotting down the slope to the village. Selrahc followed. Rettah and Ael were not far behind. 

A small farm lay on the outskirts of the village. There was no one in sight, but it certainly was not deserted. Things looked well kept here. 

There came knocking from the storm cellar. The four of them approached. The cellar, they discovered, was locked from the outside. Selrahc slide the bar out and opened the twin doors. 

Two figures emerged from the cellar. One was a middle-aged woman with blond hair, and the other was a man slightly taller than Selrahc. Selrahc recognized them as Zednanref and Yevrah. 

The man named Yevrah said, "Thanks for getting us out of there. We were just getting some freezer jam when somebody slammed the doors shut. Zednanref thinks it may have been Loyalist creeps." 

"I see," said Selrahc, "I'm glad it was nothing more than that. If a wandering group of Loyalists can't find anything better to do than lock a pair of law-abiding Rebels into their own storm cellar, then they have less time to plan the big stuff that could really hurt us." 

Not even Rettah bothered to argue the point, even though the logic was a little backwards. 

Yevrah and Zednanref said a quick good-bye and returned to their house. Selrahc and the others mounted and continued to Isserb. Rettah trailed, her sharp eyes looking for any motion in the shadows near Zednanref and Yevrah's farm. She wasn't entirely convinced that they were gone yet. 

* * *

Isserb was a quaint little village on the edge of the Endless Plains. It was peaceful, joyous, and bright. It was a place of safely, happiness, and peace. The Rebels of Isserb, nevertheless, existed. The people of Isserb completely disagreed with his ways. Therefore, they had joined the rebellion. 

When Selrahc, Ael, and Rettah rode into the village, the people welcomed them with open arms. Rettah said, "Peace and joy to all of you!" 

This, unfortunately, would only be a short stop on a longer journey. Selrahc explained, "We can only stay here for a while. The others are going to be meeting us on the lower slopes of Mount Atsash. From there, we will travel to Ekal Raelc, and then to T'niop Raef. 

The others nodded in agreement. 

* * *

The next morning, they left for Mount Atsash. It would be a journey of three days, but that didn't matter to them. The first day was easy going because of the Endless Plains. That night, they would take turns at watch. 

Selrahc took the first watch. 

"Who, who," called an owl. 

"Me, me," muttered Selrahc. Selrahc nearly fell asleep during his watch. Rettah took the next watch. 

"02:00 hours," Rettah muttered, "The intrepid Rettah Eiram watches over the campsite with skillful ears and sharp eyes. She hears a rustle in the leaves. She moves to investigate. No enemy soldier would stand a chance against the fearless Rettah the Unforgettable, Second-in-Command of the Rebels!" 

"Rettah," moaned Selrahc, half asleep and tired-sounding. 

"What, Selrahc?" Rettah asked. 

"Some of us are trying to sleep here," he grumbled. 

"Sorry," said Rettah, "I'll dictate my story in my head, then." 

"Good idea," said Selrahc, going back to sleep. 

"And so the brave Rettah of the Rebels is silenced by the great Selrahc Bor, Leader of the Rebels and the Wild Bor of Isserb!" 

"Rettah," Selrahc warned. 

"I'm shutting up," said Rettah. 

It went this way for the next two nights. The travelling became harder because they were in the great forest of Salguod Rif, in the foothills near Mount Atsash. They finally reached the meeting spot. 

But they found that the other rebels weren't there. 

"Where are they?" Selrahc said as they thoroughly but fruitlessly searched the area. There was no way that a band of even highly trained rebels could hide so that even other rebels could not find them, unless they had the capacity to become invisible, which they didn't, or that they simply didn't come, which they would never even think of doing. Selrahc refused to accept the possibility that they were captured. Even if they had been ambushed by the loyalists, at least one of the rebels would have escaped and came here. Where were they, anyway? Maybe they encountered some sort of difficultly and continued on to Ekal Rælc without them. Maybe the messenger had not been reliable and did not give them the message. Maybe the code was too abstract for them to decipher. Maybe the messenger accidentally dropped the note in the mud and the ink washed off. Maybe they got lost. Get lost? Anyone can see Mount Atsash from anywhere in Nogero. Maybe there was fog. Fog? In July? Maybe . . . 

Too many maybes, and no answers. 

"Maybe they fell into a pit and can't get out," said Rettah. She was obviously doing the same thing with the maybes. "Maybe they grew wings and flew away." 

"Grew wings?" asked Selrahc. 

"Well, maybe," said Rettah. 

A sound came from a nearby bush. Rettah and Selrahc moved to investigate. The bush moved. 

"Who are you?" Rettah asked. 

"I am Snitsah," said the bush. "This just goes to tell you not to let the wrong thing hit you." 

"What happened?" asked Selrahc. 

"I got entangled in a bush. It was somebody else's spell." 

"You make a nice bush," said Rettah. 

"Oh, gee thanks," said the bush. Suddenly, a guy in a robe fell out of the bush. "Much better," said Snitsah. 

"How did you get here?" said Rettah, "This place is virtually the middle of nowhere." 

"There's some loyalists we're fighting on the other side of the mountain," explained Snitsah. "We could use some help." 

"Loyalists? Glad to. We might as well be useful while we wait for news on the others," said Selrahc. 

"Maybe that's where the others are," suggested Rettah. 

"Out of the bush, I see," said a boy in a robe as he joined them. 

"Why doesn't anyone else ever get entangled in a bush as well when I do, Ihkeer?" Snitsah asked. 

"Talent, I guess," said Ihkeer. 

"Exactly what are you doing?" asked Rettah. 

"Duck!" cried Ihkeer. 

Rettah ducked. A ball of fire flew harmlessly over her head and dissipated. "That does it," said Rettah. In a single motion, Rettah drew her sword and leapt into the trees. 

"What is she doing?" Snitsah asked. 

"Having good strategy," said Selrahc, "Rettah takes advantage of her good sense of balance to get the drop on her enemies. They'll never see her coming. It would help if she knew who to attack. Come on." 

With that, Selrahc, Ihkeer, and Snitsah got out their weapons and moved forward. Ael Aremat climbed into the trees where she began assemballing a tree-fort. 

Meanwhile, Rettah was discovering that there was no chance for stealth in this red cedar. She would probably fall off if she moved to the birch, but at least she would have the element of surprise. After examining the other possibilites, Rettah decided to take the line of douglas firs, in spite of the pitch. It took her directly into the enemy lines, and could put her behind them. She quickly and silently moved foreward. 

Selrahc lead the attack on the loyalists. They were quite obviously surprised. Arul and the others could be seen nearby. Three other rebels that were not at the gorge of the Ettemalli before were also there. They were Edalb, Mada, and Sir Nagrom. A former rebel could be seen attacking them. She was Eerised. They looked as though they were about to lose when Rettah jumped down right behind Eerised. Eerised couldn't get all four of them at the same time, so she decided to get out of there. She could not leap into the trees like Rettah could, so she decided on a ground retreat. Mada tried to block her retreat, but Rettah returned to the trees before most of the loyalists had even seen her. Eerised broke through the hole in their defenses and went back to the relative safety of the loyalist army. The other three moved back to Selrahc. 

"What is Rettah doing?" Mada asked. 

"I'll explain later," cried Selrahc. "All of you!" he called to the rebels, "Get out there and do what you're good at!" 

The entire army of rebels screamed and ran into the trees. Neither Selrahc nor the loyalists could see them. Suddenly, Rettah appeared, along with the other rebels. The loyalists found themselves surrounded. Half of them tried to retreat, some of which successfully. The others fought on until they ran as well. No one surrendered. Rettah took to the trees and watched where they went. When she returned, she said they were going to Renrut. 

"All right, now we need to take roll to find out who we have here," said Selrahc. "We'll do this in alphabetical order. Ael?" 

"Here." 

"Arul?" 

"Here." 

"Eel?" 

"Here." 

"Edalb?" 

"Where else would I be?" 

"Egroeg?" 

"Here." 

"Idolem?" 

"Here." 

"Llimah?" 

"Here." 

"Mada?" 

"Here." 

"Margni?" 

"Right here." 

"Nagrom?" 

"Here." 

"Rettah?" 

"What?" 

"Reyem?" 

"Here." 

"Trebor?" 

"Huh?" 

"Is there anyone here whose name I did not call?" Selrahc asked. 

Two people raised their hands. One of them said, "We are Sk'nabli and Arol of Ekal Raelc." 

Selrahc put the names down on his list. "We should get going tomorrow morning. We'll take turns standing watch. Rettah will not be standing watch tonight." 

"What!" Rettah cried in protest. 

"Don't worry, Rettah. You're getting a break." 

Rettah sat down on the ground. She looked up. "It's getting late." 

"How can you tell with all the foliage?" asked Trebor. 

"I can't. I looked at my watch." 

* * *

The night passed without incident. Unfortunately, the ride to Ekal Raelc was not so quiet. A band of loyalists passed dangerously close to the rebels, but Rettah's skill with trees managed to warn the rebels. Rettah went past the loyalists and shook some leaves near the ground in the other direction. The loyalists started going in that direction. The rebels continued on to Ekal Raelc without the loyalists even knowing they were there. The loyalists may have had better equipment, but the rebels were better trained. It was a counterbalance that gave the rebels a distinct advantage over those loyalists. The rebels didn't think it was entirely fair. But, then again, the rebels usualy didn't care about "fair." 

Two days after the fight at Mount Atsash, the rebels arrived at Ekal Raelc. Unlike the calm and peaceful people of Isserb, those of Ekal Raelc were rather roudy but still well-trained. Like all rebels, they fought for the same cause. This was to overthrow him and return Renrut to its previous prosperity. They didn't care what they had to do to get that; they just knew that they would. 

A regiment of rebels would be leaving Ekal Raelc with Selrahc to T'niop Raef. For now, though, they would be spending the night in Ekal Raelc. In the Ekal Raelc meeting hall, twenty-two of the rebels sat around in a lop-sided circle. Rettah couldn't resist the oppertunity to tell a joke. 

"Did you hear the joke about the elephant?" The rebels gave her a confused look. Rettah went on. "Oh, forget it." The rebels didn't get it for a moment, but then they all began to laugh. "Ael," said Rettah as soon as the laughter died down, "I'm going to draw you." 

"Do I have a choice?" asked Ael, but Rettah had already gotten out a piece of paper and began drawing. 

"Not really, but it would help if you stood still," said Rettah. "I don't suppose you want to end up looking like a troll or something." 

"No, I don't," said Ael, "I'm standing still." 

Ael stood perfectly still. Selrahc moved over to Rettah to see what she was drawing. 

"Amazing," muttered Selrahc. 

After a few minutes, Rettah said, "Finished. You can move now, Ael." 

Ael moved. She looked down at Rettah's picture. It was almost like looking into a mirror. The drawing looked just like her. 

"How do you do that?" asked Selrahc. 

"Talent, I guess," shrugged Rettah. 

Selrahc smiled and took the picture. Then he hung it on the wall of the Ekal Rælc meeting house. The other rebels gazed at it and said, "That looks just like her." "How does she do that?" "Simply beautiful." 

"Incredible, isn't she?" said Selrahc. Rettah wasn't sure whether he was talking about herself or Ael. 

Before leaving Ekal Rælc, three rebels were appointed to come up with a feasable plan for how to take T'niop Ræf. These rebels were Rettah, Ihkeer, and another rebel named Innej. It took them two weeks to come up with the plan, and even then Arul put Innej in charge of it. Innej was not entirely in agreement with all of the rebels' philosophies, but she agreed less with the loyalists. She was about Rettah's age, though she was taller and had blond hair instead of Rettah's mix-matched color. 

Each day, the three young Rebels met in a room in Ekal Rælc. It was commonly the two girls that did all the talking. It was like Innej said to Ihkeer one day: "You can join in any time you like, y'know." 


End file.
